Recently in Domestic Violence Category

On July 18, Reyes' husband, Milton Reyes, shot and killed her in a car parked at an Enfield parking lot before turning the gun on himself. Enfield police said they were having marital problems, but they had no arrest history with Windsor police.

Friends and family of the couple remain shocked over the senseless and brutal murder-suicide: another horrific act of domestic violence that reverberates long after the act itself. Reyes left behind a 13-year-old son from a previous marriage.

But now, the family wants to honor the young woman who loved photography, scrapbooking and family.

"Megan was only 26 with her whole life ahead of her," said her aunt Carol Szymanski.

Szymanski and the family are still considering how best to keep Reyes' memory alive. But already Szymanski has talked to town officials about a possible meditation garden at the high school, from where Reyes graduated in 2001.

Whatever they decide, Szymanski said, they want to work with families affected by domestic violence to continue to educate people on how domestic violence can affect any family, even a tight-knit one like theirs.

Donations for The Megan Marrero Memorial Fund can be sent to Windsor Federal Savings Bank at 250 Broad Street, Windsor, CT. 06095.

Did you know that domestic violence shelters aren't manned 24 hours a day?

Yeah, me neither.

Wednesday, the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence is hosting a forum to discuss the issue and the need for funding to make sure survivors have continuous, skilled staffing at the shelters.

Among those who will speak about the glaring need is Cookie Carr, an amazing survivor I met the other day. Read more about her in my Thursday column.

In the meantime, read Cookie's poem about what it's like for battered women to run only to find themselves alone with her fears.

Cookie's PoemDuring the day, we feel safe and secure.But the nights here are so unsure.Soon it will be time to rest in our beds, then my abuser's face will dancein my head.

I need someone to help me and thekids through the night. But there isn't another soul in sight. I try to tell themthat we will be okay, but they can read my energy and can't believe a wordI say.

I need someone else to tell them that this place is safe and they will be alright,But there is no comfort in sightso we try to rest, but it just don'twork, the night is so long, can't waitfor the birds to sing their morning song.

The event was a visual reminder of the hundreds of children affected by domestic violence each year.

To help those who attended understand how many children are affected, organizations displayed 885 children's shoes at the park to exactly represent the number of children who were served last year in Connecticut's 18 domestic violence shelters.

"Imagine for one moment if these shoes were worn by your child, your niece, your nephew or your cousin," Child Advocate Jeanne Milstein told onlookers. "Imagine the fear and trauma that these children experience when they experience domestic violence."